Can opener



om QPENER Filed 06?'. 1.7', 1928 2 Sheet-She' l INVENTOR WITNESS:

ATTORNEY E. L. GHMRU ET M..

GAN OPENER FilCC 06%. 1,7 19251 E Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Fatented Dec. 31, 1929 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD L. GIRARD AND FRED F. GIRARD, OF WASHINGTONVILLE, OHIO CAN OPENER Application led October 17, 1928. Serial No. 313,140.

Our present invention has reference to improvements in can openers, our primary object being to simplify and improve the existing art by producing a can opener in which 5 a removable fixedl plate that carries a cutting element is employed, and which has a toothed wheel carrying handle associated therewith and the said wheel being disposed to one side of the cutting element and designed to engage with the under face of the beaded edge of a cam, together with means whereby the handle when turned in one direction will travel toward the cutting element to cause the latter to pierce the can, and when the handle is further turned in the same direction the toothed wheel thereon will rotate the can aroundthe cutting element so that the top of the can is severed therefrom in an easy' and expeditious manner, the turning of the handle in a second direction lowering the same to permit of the removal of the can.

To the attainment of the above broadl stated objects and many others which wil present themselves, the improvement further resides in certain other novel features of construction, combination and operative association of parts, one satisfactory embodiment of which is disclosed by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawingsz' Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement.

Figure 2 vis a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 3 3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the plate supporting bracket.

Figure 5 is a 'detail elevation to illustrate the position of the cam wheel when the han dle is turned in one direction.

Figure 6 is a similar view to illustrate the position of the cam wheel when the handle is turned in a second direction.

Figure 7 is an elevation looking toward the reverse face of the plate to that disclosed by Figure 6. I v

Figure 8 is a sectional view approximately on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional viewf approximately on the line 9-9vof Figure 8.//'/J,

Figure 10 is a sectional view approximately on the line 10-10 of Figure 7.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view approximately on the line 11--11 of Figure 7 Figure 12 is a plan View of the movable elements of the cutter.

In carrying out our invention we secure upon a wall or like support a flat plate or bracket 1. This bracket is slitted vertically and transverselyI and the metal bounded by the slits is bent outwardly to form oppositely disposed ears 2-2 and 3-3- The ears 2 are spread awa from each other a greater distance than tie ears 3 and these pairs of ears are designed to receive therebetween the the angle end 4 of a plate 5.

The plate 5, upon one of its faces and adjacent to its outer corner has fixed thereon the body portion 6 of a substantially V shaped cutting and piercing element 7. By reference to the drawings it will be noted that'there-is a block 8 disposed between the body 6 and the plate so that the cutter 7 is spaced a suitable distnce from one side of the plate.

The plate, below and inwardly of the pointed end of the cutter 7 is formed with a curved or arched transverse opening 8. This opening is upwardly inclined and the end wallsfthereof are rounded, as at 10 and 11, respectively, the upper end wall 1l being disposed beyond the point of the cutter 7 and the upper curved wall provided by the said opening being disposed approximately in a line with such point. rIhe plate, on the face thereof provided with the cutter 7 is formed with a lug 12 that is arranged directly op posite the lower rounded Wall 10 of the opening 8, the purpose of which will presently be apparent. The handle bar of the improvement is indicated by the numeral 13.y This handle has on its outer end a knob or hand grip 14 and its opposite 'end is offset or arranged at a right angle, as at 15. This angle portion passes through the opening 8. The

'plate constituting the handle is flat and the end of the angle portion 15 thereof is reduced, as at 16. This reduced extension or e 17 arranged eccentriclly on a disc 18, t

tongue passes through a rectangular openin e sal v disc contacting with the shoulders provided between the tongue 16 `and the end 15- of the handle. Next to the disc 18 there is centrally arranged on the tongue 16 a wheel or roller 19 and outwardI of the roller thereis centraland the roller 19 is of a size to snugly be received in the slot or opening 8 and to contact with the walls thereo It is to be noted-that the handle' may be otherwiseI formed as for instance, the same may be rounded to contact with the walls of the o ning 8 and instead of employing the rim isc 21 the same may be integrally formed with the toothed wheel The disc 18 is comparatively large with respect to the toothed wheel 20 and the roller 19, and the periphery of this disc will contact with the lug 12 when the handle is swung to v the position illustrated by Figure 1 and whereby the elements carried by the handle will be in lowered postion. v

In operation the under face of the bead of a can 22 is arranged over the toothed wheel 20. In this connection it may be well to state that the toothed wheel is so arranged as to be received in the space between the cutters 7 and the plate 5. By turning the handle in a clockwise direction the roller 19 thereon will ride upwardly in the curved opening or slot 8, so that the can, which is, of course, held by one hand of the operator will have its top forced a ainst the cutting element 7 and will be pierced thereby. When in this position the roller 19 will revolve in the rounded end 11 provided by the opening 8 and as the handle is further turned in the same direction the toothed wheel 20 will impart a rotation to the can 22 so that the top of the same may be easily and quickly severed therefrom. When the top is severed from the can it is merely necessary to turn the handle in a reverse or anti-clockwise direction which will cause the roller to travel downwardly through the opening 8.

The disc 18 performs an important function in the upward movement of the handle, as the said handle, as above stated, is connected to the disc and in fact near one of the edges of the disc. This will bring the periphery of the disc farthest away from the hanwill not be required. AObviously we do not wish to be restricted tothe precise details herein set v forth, and, therefore, hold ourselves entitled to make such changes therefrom as fairly. fall within the scope of what we claim.

Havinv described the invention, we claim: A fixed bracket plate having spaced pairs of ears on the outer face thereof, one pair being spaced a greater distance away from each other than the other, a plate having an angle end received between the ears, said plate having an upwardly curved opening therethrough whose end walls are rounded, a cutter above the outer portion of the opening and spaced from the plate, said plate, on its face opposite that provided with the cutter having a lug in aline with the lower end wall of the o ening, a handle'having an offset end receive through the opening, a iianged toothed wheel fixed on the handle and contacting with the side of the plate provided with the cutter but arranged inwardly. of the plate with respect to the cutter, a roller on the plate for engaging the walls provided by the opening and a disc eccentrically fixedv on the handle and contacting the second face of the plate and havin tacted by the lug, as and forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signature. EDWARD L. GIRARD.

FRED F. GIRARD.

for the purpose set dle against the lug and thereby cause the elev ments connected with the handle to readily travel upwardly on the plate and the roller through -the slot or opening 8 in the plate.

The simplicity of the construction and the advantages thereof. will be 'perfectly apparent so that furtherl detailed description its periphery con- 

